The Airport fire, which sparked Monday in Orange County’s Trabuco Canyon, has gained ferocity. On Wednesday, the fire was still burning out of control as it moved into Riverside County, scorching tens of thousands of acres and burning homes.
Although fire officials didn’t have specific numbers on structures burned, they told The Times that multiple homes had been affected.
Joel Pavelka, who lives in the small mountain town of El Cariso, was trying to stay upbeat.
“I am crossing my fingers, we are OK for now,” said Pavelka as he watched smoke billow over the Santa Ana Mountains near the spot where he has lived for 20 years.
The small, tight-knit Riverside County community sits in the heart of Cleveland National Forest, home to campgrounds and trails across the scenic mountainside. To the west lies the Pacific Ocean and to the east is Lake Elsinore. Over the years, wildfires have burned the mountains.